Tribal nations left with few options to resist a nickel refinery due to complex history

Our Living Lands | By Sarah Liese (Twilla)

Published October 20, 2025 at 6:00 AM MDT

Woman wearing a red bandana on her head stands on rocky ground overlooking a valley with mountains rising up in the background.

1 of 2 — Westwin Elements Part Two

Kaysa Whitley (Kiowa/Absentee Shawnee) walks around the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge on July 17, 2025. It's about 13 miles away from the Westwin Elements demonstration plant.

Sarah Liese / KOSU

Two protesters wearing black clothing and face masks hold up signs protesting the operation of the Westwin Elements refinery and criticism of issues unfolding on the U.S. political stage, such as the taxation of the rich and green colonialism.

2 of 2 — Westwin Elements Part Two

Westwin Resistance teamed up with other local resistance groups to push back against Westwin Elements. The protest also extended to criticism of issues unfolding on the U.S. political stage, such as the taxation of the rich and green colonialism.

Sarah Liese / KOSU

This is Part 2 of a three-part series exploring the conflict over a nickel refinery in Oklahoma.

Last week, we reported on a nickel refinery in Oklahoma that is built on the historic reservation of the Kiowa, Comanche and Apache tribal nations. But as KOSU’s Sarah Liese reports, Westwin Elements is operating without their consent, which is causing frustration stemming from century-old decisions about tribal sovereignty.

Kaysa Whitley is Kiowa and Absentee Shawnee. She’s also the coalition coordinator of Westwin Resistance, a grassroots organization dedicated to pushing back against Westwin Elements. “We're not defending nature,” Whitley said. “We are nature defending itself.”

This story was produced with support of Internews’ Earth Journalism Network.